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Research

Fact of the day

The ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin Institute for the Economy and the Future of Work (RFBerlin) engages in research designed to raise the standard of public debate and create the best possible basis for policy making.

Equity, Inclusion & Opportunity
Equity, Inclusion & Opportunity
Migration & Global Collaboration
Migration & Global Collaboration
Technology, Trade & Human Capital
Technology, Trade & Human Capital

Discussion papers

No. 118/26 - April 2026

Pre-AI Sorting, Post-AI Inequality: Generative AI and the Gender Wage Gap

Joacim Tåg, Fredrik Heyman, Malin Gardberg, Martin Olsson

No. 117/26 - April 2026

Buying Out the Means of Production: Wages and Productivity in Labor-Managed Firms

Elia Benveniste

No. 116/26 - April 2026

Sticky Gravity

Mario Larch, Leandro Navarro, Dennis Novy

No. 115/26 - April 2026

Motivating Job Seekers. A Field Experiment

Bart Cockx, Johan Egebark, Greet van Hoye, Emilie Videnord, Johan Vikström

Research Insights

Concise, research-based articles for scholars,
policymakers, and anyone curious about the world.

No. 7/26 - March 2026

How Germany Could Raise Its Low Birth Rate

Governments across advanced economies are trying to raise fertility without discouraging women from working.

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No. 6/26 - March 2026

Who Loses When Firms Are Bought: Labor Market Effects of Acquisitions

Evidence from Sweden suggests that mergers often lead to job losses and lasting pay cuts for workers, even when firms benefit.

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No. 5/26 - February 2026

More and More Ukrainians Want to Stay in Denmark

Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, three out of four adult Ukrainians living in Denmark wish to stay even if their hometown becomes safe again.

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CReAM Reports

Data-driven reports on migration and related economic and social trends, highlighting the latest developments across Europe and beyond.

No. 1/25 - April 2025

The Immigrant Population in the European Union

The EU’s foreign-born population reached over 63 million in 2024 (14.1%), driven by non-EU inflows and post-2022 surges. Germany remains the main destination, with most immigrants of working age and uneven distribution across countries.

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News

RFBerlin research and researchers are regularly featured in the press.

Press

13 Mar 2026

CReAM at RFBerlin Report on Migration Aspirations Widely Covered by German Media
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Press release

13 Mar 2026

Germany most likely Destination for the Largest Share of Refugees if Middle East War Triggers Cross-Border Migration
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CReAM at RFBerlin

13 Mar 2026

Migration Aspirations, Diaspora Networks and Refugee Destinations from Iran and Lebanon
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Press release

2 Mar 2026

Takeovers cost employees jobs and income, companies lose revenue
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Tweets by @RF_Berlin

🧠New RFBerlin Research Insight!

Who manages your team shapes more than performance, it shapes culture. New research by @VirginiaMinni, Kieu-Trang Nguyen, Heather Sarsons and @CarlaSrebot shows gender-progressive foreign managers narrow the gender pay gap by ~20%, and those

El número de inmigrantes que viven en la UE bate récord en 2025, con 64 millones frente a l40 millones en 2010, según estudio de @RF_Berlin Alemania sigue siendo el principal destino pero España el que más rápido crece, casi igualando ya a Francia.

🧠New RFBerlin Research Insight!

Foreign wars sometimes boost leaders’ popularity at home.

A study by Mikael Elinder, Oscar Erixson & @ollehammar examines Russian public opinion before and after the invasion, revealing a powerful rally effect that reshaped attitudes far beyond

📄 New RFBerlin Discussion Papers: stay updated with recent findings 👇
From migration choices to AI, housing, and well-being: here’s a tour of our latest research 🧵

Upcoming events

RFBerlin hosts a wide array of events aimed at fostering academic research and collaboration.

RFBerlin Applied Economics Seminar

16 June 2026

Anders Humlum (University of Chicago)

TBA

RFBerlin Applied Economics Seminar

23 June 2026

Antonio Cabrales (Charles III University of Madrid)

TBA

RFBerlin Masterclass

6 Jul – 7 Jul 2026

“Non-wage amenities” by Alexandre Mas

Handbook of Labor Economics – Chapter Previews

In anticipation of the upcoming Handbook of Labor Economics, we offer early access to select chapters through our Discussion Papers series. Following our 2023 conference on this new edition, first chapters are now available for preview, featuring insights from leading research in economics and labor.

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